Patient journey: from first enquiry to last check-up

Most of the questions people have before a procedure are not about the procedure itself but about what surrounds it: what the examination is like, whether they will feel anything, how many days they will be off work and who to contact if something worries them. The answers are the same for almost all procedures, so they are in one place.

What does the journey look like from first enquiry to procedure?

The journey through Poliklinika Barbel has six steps, and most of them happen before the operation.

1. First enquiry. Your first enquiry is answered by head nurse Martina — she will gladly answer your questions and clear up any doubts.

2. Consultation. At the consultation the patient meets the doctor and the head nurse and explains why they have come. The doctor then explains the type of procedure, the anaesthesia, the expected recovery, the result and possible complications.

3. Written information. The patient receives written information about the procedure, takes it home and signs it at least 24 hours before the procedure. This period exists so that the decision is made outside the consulting room.

4. Preparation. Before the procedure, the required laboratory tests and an anaesthetic assessment are carried out. If something needs to be resolved before the procedure, the date is moved until it is.

5. Procedure and stay. After general anaesthesia the patient stays in the clinic for at least six hours, and longer if needed.

6. Check-ups. Check-ups in the first three months after the procedure and dressing changes for our own patients are included in the price of the procedure.

What happens at the consultation?

The examination begins with a conversation: the doctor listens to what bothers you, what you want and what you expect. The examination is carried out in the presence of a nurse, and what is looked at depends on the reason for your visit. For the breasts, it is an examination of the breasts and the lymph nodes of the armpit; for body contouring, weighing and measuring circumferences.

Photography in standard medical views is part of the consultation. The photographs are used to plan the procedure and to compare results, and they stay in your medical records. We keep them in line with the rules on personal data protection (GDPR) and do not publish them or share them with anyone, unless expressly agreed otherwise with you in writing. If you have earlier test results or discharge letters, it is good to bring copies, because everything relevant to the procedure is reviewed at the examination.

The examination does not always end with an agreement to operate. For some patients the doctor does not advise a procedure, because there is no need for it or because the procedure cannot deliver what is expected of it. To others the doctor suggests waiting, most often because of age. When there is a reason for a procedure, an agreement follows on the type of procedure, anaesthesia, recovery, result and possible complications.

When is a procedure postponed?

A procedure is not planned while body weight is unstable, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, while there is an active inflammation or infection, and with a clotting disorder or blood-thinning medication that cannot be temporarily stopped. Smoking slows healing, so the procedure is planned for a smoke-free period — how, is agreed after the examination.

A treatment is not carried out during pregnancy and breastfeeding, with an active inflammation or skin infection at the treatment site, or with a known allergy to the ingredients of the product.

Preparing for the procedure

Blood-thinning medication, dietary supplements and smoking are agreed at the examination — when to stop and how long before. Nothing is taken by mouth for six hours before the procedure — no water, no coffee, no chewing gum.

Which tests are done before the procedure?

For procedures under general anaesthesia and for most of those under sedation, the tests before the procedure are an ECG, blood tests (blood count, electrolytes, sugar, clotting, blood group) and a urine test; for patients over 50, or when there is a reason, a chest X-ray as well. Additional tests or the opinion of another specialist are requested only if a result calls for it. You receive the list of tests at the examination, and the results are reviewed at the anaesthetic assessment.

What documentation do you receive?

Everything agreed and done at Poliklinika Barbel stays on record and is available for you to see. Before the procedure this is an extract from the medical history with the opinion and the plan for the procedure, the list of tests, written information about the possible complications of the procedure and of the type of anaesthesia, and the anaesthetic questionnaire and the findings of the anaesthetic assessment. After the procedure you receive a discharge letter with recovery instructions.

For everything that is placed in the body, above all implants, the documentation keeps the manufacturer's certificate with the identification of the implant used. The same applies to the documentation on the sterility of the materials used during the operation.

What does the consent you sign mean?

Before the procedure you sign a consent for the agreed procedure and type of anaesthesia, and a document that lists the possible complications of that procedure individually and how they are dealt with. The purpose is not a formality: if something that is on that list happens after the procedure, you will recognise what it is and get in touch, instead of being frightened.

The consent confirms that you have been informed; it does not oblige you to have the procedure. Until the day of the procedure you can withdraw or ask further questions. It is good for your family doctor to know about the planned procedure too, because you go back to them and they follow you in the long term.

Your rights as a patient

Patients' rights in Croatia are set out in the Act on the Protection of Patients' Rights (Zakon o zaštiti prava pacijenata). At Poliklinika Barbel they are not a formality but part of the journey described above; here is a list of what you are entitled to and where the law says so.

• Being informed (Art. 8) — full information about your condition, the recommended procedure, its benefits and risks, other options and the course of recovery. At Barbel you receive it verbally at the examination and in writing before the procedure.
• Taking part in decisions (Art. 6 and 16) — the right to accept or refuse a procedure and the type of anaesthesia. You give your consent by signing the consent form, after you have taken the information home.
• Second opinion (Art. 10) — the right to ask for the opinion of another doctor, at Poliklinika Barbel or elsewhere, at any time.
• Access to medical records (Art. 23) — sight of all the documentation on the examination, the procedure and the anaesthesia, including the anaesthetist's findings and the certificates of implants placed, and the right to a copy.
• Confidentiality (Art. 25) — information about your health and the photographs in your records are not shared with anyone without your consent. Health data is a special category of personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• Complaint (Art. 27 of the Health Care Act (Zakon o zdravstvenoj zaštiti)) — you submit a complaint to the director of the institution, verbally or in writing, and receive a written reply within eight days. If you are not satisfied with it, you can turn to the Ministry of Health, the Croatian Medical Chamber or the court. You can also report a violation of rights in a written complaint to the Committee for the Protection of Patients' Rights of the City of Zagreb.
• Compensation for damage (Art. 29) — the right to compensation for damage is exercised under general obligations law.
• Sight of registration and licences — on your request we show the decision on the registration of the healthcare institution and the licences of the surgeon and anaesthetist for that activity. A doctor's licence is issued by the Croatian Medical Chamber and can be checked.
• Implant information — for every implant placed, the manufacturer, identification and batch stay in the documentation, and you receive an implant card, as required by Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices.

Why does it matter where you have surgery?

Poliklinika Barbel is a healthcare institution registered in the Republic of Croatia and operates under Croatian regulations, which are aligned with European Union law. In every EU member state a patient has the same basic guarantees: information on treatment options, clear prices and an invoice, the same price list for domestic patients and patients from other member states, information on the provider's registration, a clear complaints procedure and the right to a copy of their own records (Directive 2011/24/EU on the application of patients' rights in cross-border healthcare). Implants placed in the EU carry the CE mark, and with the implant you receive a card with the details of the manufacturer, model and batch, so that years later it is still known what was placed.

→ Breast implants — how to choose?

How do you choose a clinic and a surgeon?

Before choosing a clinic or surgeon, these are things worth checking:

• Does the surgeon have a licence to practise, and for which specialty was it issued? The licence is issued by the Croatian Medical Chamber and can be checked.
• Who gives the anaesthesia, and are they present throughout the procedure? Regional and general anaesthesia may be given only by specialists in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care. It is worth asking whether this is the same doctor who sees you before the procedure and whether they stay with you until you wake up.
• Where is the procedure carried out, and what does that institution have in place if something goes differently from planned? Equipment for emergency intervention and resuscitation, a recovery unit, central gas supply.
• If you need to stay overnight after the procedure, where do you stay and who is with the patient? At Poliklinika Barbel you stay overnight when the doctor judges it necessary and this is agreed with the patient. The night is then spent in a recovery unit room; a nurse is with the patient all night, and a doctor is on call.
  → How long do you stay in the clinic after surgery?
• What is included in the price, and what is paid separately? Anaesthesia, pre-operative work-up, check-ups, dressing changes; the overnight stay and care during the night when the doctor judges an overnight stay necessary.
  → Price list: what is included in the price?
• What happens if the result is not as agreed, and who then carries out the correction?
  → Poliklinika Barbel's correction policy
• Time to decide. There is no set number of days between the examination and the procedure, because the decision-making process is not the same for everyone. For some one conversation is enough, others want to think for a few weeks or hear a second opinion — both are usual. It is equally usual to come for an examination and decide afterwards that the procedure is not for you. The date of the procedure is arranged only when you are sure, and until then nurse Martina and the doctor are available for any questions that come up.

If a procedure is carried out outside the EU, patients' rights, complaints, compensation for damage and the guarantee for the implant depend on that country's regulations and are harder to exercise from Croatia. That is why the questions are the same anywhere: is the institution registered, does the surgeon have a licence for that procedure, does the implant have the CE mark and a card, who is responsible if something goes differently, and under which regulations.

→ Risks and complications: what is the course of healing, and what is a complication?

More detail by topic

• AnaesthesiaBefore a procedure under general or regional anaesthesia, you are seen by the anaesthetist, who works full time at the clinic; the same doctor is also present during the procedure. The page explains what the anaesthetic assessment is, what types of anaesthesia there are, who may give it and what the risks are.
  → Anaesthesia: what happens before, during and after the procedure?
• RecoveryAfter general anaesthesia you stay in the clinic for at least six hours; after larger procedures the doctor may, in agreement with the patient, arrange one or two nights, with a nurse all night and a doctor on call. Return to work ranges from a few days to six weeks, and the result is final after six months. Procedures are divided into four recovery profiles.
  → Recovery after surgery: how long does it take and what does it depend on?
• Risks and complicationsSwelling, bruising and numbness around the incision are part of expected healing, not complications. Risks are divided into three groups, expected, occasional and rare, and there is a known procedure for each.
  → Risks and complications: what is the course of healing, and what is a complication?
• Coming from outside ZagrebThe first conversation can take place remotely. The surgeon's examination and the anaesthetic assessment are scheduled on the same day, so a procedure as a rule requires two visits; check-ups are in Zagreb.
  → Coming from outside Zagreb: how many times do you need to come and how long do you stay?

Frequently asked questions about the patient journey

What should I bring to the first examination? Copies of earlier test results and discharge letters related to the procedure, a list of the medication you take and the questions you want to ask. None of this is a condition for the examination, but it shortens the decision-making process.

Will I be photographed? Yes. Photography in standard views is part of the consultation and of the medical records. We keep the photographs in line with the rules on personal data protection (GDPR) and do not publish them or share them with anyone, unless expressly agreed otherwise with you in writing.

Can I change my mind after I sign the consent? Yes. The consent confirms that you have been informed about the procedure and its complications; you can withdraw until the day of the procedure.

Do I receive documentation about the implant? Yes. For every implant placed, your records keep the manufacturer's certificate with the identification of the implant, and you can see it or receive a copy.

Who is with me during the procedure? The surgeon, the anaesthetist and a nurse. The anaesthetist is with you from the start until you wake up and monitors your vital signs throughout the procedure.

Can I get a second opinion? Yes. A second opinion is your right, at Poliklinika Barbel or elsewhere, and it does not change how we treat you as a patient.

Where can I check a doctor's licence? At the Croatian Medical Chamber, which issues and keeps the licences for independent practice. At the examination you can also ask to see the licences of the surgeon and anaesthetist and the decision on the registration of the institution.

Do the same rights apply if I have surgery in another country? In every EU country the same basic rules apply: information, a complaints procedure and access to records. Outside the EU these rights depend on that country's regulations and are harder to exercise from Croatia.

Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.